vista magazine issue one 2016

7/25/2019 Vista Magazine Issue One 2016

1/201 / MALIANA NIGHTS VISTA

Issue One2016


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Kia ora. In May, we said Haere r (though its never really goodbye, when youreinvolved with VSA) to Diane Torne-George who, with husband Eric, hasbeen with us since 1999. After two volunteer assignments, she became ourBougainville Programme Manager (PM), went on to be Vanuatu PM, and wasmost recently imor-Leste PM. At her farewell, she remarked that she felt luckyto have seen the work the volunteers under her care have done, and thanked the

team here in New Zealand for starting those volunteers journeys, selecting andsending the committed, talented Kiwis who go out into the wider Pacific.

I often say Imagine a world without volunteers, but I cant imagine VSAwithout volunteers and not just those who work in the field. In New Zealand,

there are several groups who contribute to VSA on a voluntary basis our members, our regional branchesand our returned volunteers through our alumni association, VSAConnect. Tey all organise and host events,connect us with other community organisations and most of all, spread the word about the work we do.

And theres the group who regularly give up their free time to help us with the most critical aspect of our work the selectors who work with our recruitment team to select our volunteers.

For most volunteers, the recruitment process is the first contact they have with VSA, and many of them havetold me they see it as one of the most valuable parts of their assignment. Selection takes place over two days,in which prospective volunteers learn more about their assignments, meet with a counsellor or psychologist totalk through their readiness to volunteer and, finally, an expert panel who assess the candidates ability to meetthe professional and cultural requirements.

We are one of the few volunteer development agencies that still insists on such a rigorous, face-to-face process,and as a result, recruitment is one of our great strengths. Its proof is in our volunteers success and our lowearly return rate. Te selectors give up their time and talents for us, to ensure we deliver value for money.

Troughout this issue of Vista, youll read volunteers own stories of making a difference the moments theyfelt theyd made a breakthrough. We also have the stories of women whose lives have been turned upside downin the last year by two category five cyclones, natural disasters that could strike at any time. While volunteerassignments have specific objectives, these stories show that change can happen in the most unexpected ofways. Tey show that we all have the same needs and aspirations: to be heard, and to ensure a better futurefor all.

Tank you to our volunteers in the field who make change happen, and to our volunteers in New Zealand,who help them on their way and support them on their journey.

Te Tu-ao Ta-wa-hi Volunteer Service Abroad

VSA. All rights reserved. ISSN 1176-9904 Reproduction of content isallowed for usage in primary and secondary schools, and for tertiary studies.

Vistais the official magazine of e ao whi Volunteer ServiceAbroad Incorporated. Please note that views expressed in Vista are notnecessarily the views of VSA. Editorial and photographic submissions tothe magazine are welcome. Please address all queries and submissions tothe Editor, Vista, at [email protected].

Chief Executive Officer:Dr Gill Greer CBE, MNZM

Patron: His Excellency Lieutenant General Te Right Honourable SirJerry Mateparae GNZM, QSO, Governor-General of New Zealand

President: Gavin Kerr, QSO

Council members:Dr Simon Mark (Deputy Chair), Deidre Brooks,Kirsty Burnett, Dr Jo Cribb, Peter Elmsly, David Glover, Farib SosMNZM, Sandy Stephens MNZM, Kirikaiahi Mahutariki.

Vistais printed on environmentally responsible paper. It is chlorine freeand manufactured using sustainably farmed trees.

Council Chair:Evan Mayson

Te New Zealand Government is proud to provide significant support

through the New Zealand Aid Programme for New Zealand volunteerswho work in a development capacity overseas.

e ao whi Volunteer Service Abroad Inc is a registered charity(CC36739) under the Charities Act 2005.

Gill Greer, CEO


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Contents

Latest newsVSA's latest developments

Frangipanis in bloomImproving the mental health service in Kiribati

Maliana nightsA night market in Maliana, Timor-Leste

Celebrating Samoan women in politicsChallenging the masculine view of leadership

After the cyclones, the droughtTelling the stories of families affected by Cyclone

Pam, a year later

Lunch on the ring of fireA steamy lunch in Papua New Guinea

A thriving Honiara libraryHoniara Public Library gets a make over

Keeping volunteering in the whnauThe Hogg family passed the volunteering bug from

kids to parents

6

8

11

14

16

17

18

12

Front Cover:A trained nurse-aide, Lody Samson, 39, is a motherof three children under 14, including son Solomon Samson who is

8 months old. Te coastal village of Koinga where she lives was hit

hard by Cyclone Pam, with their crops destroyed. After a dry season,most of the villages water tanks are empty. Lody and her husband

feed people who come to the church, but the lack of water makes itdifficult. Koinga Village, Efate Island, Vanuatu, 21 January 2016.

Photographed by UN Women/Murray Lloyd.

Current page:Last tree standing. A symbol of resilience after severeflooding in West Guale, Solomon Islands, 2014. Photographed byRachel Skeates.

Back cover:VSA volunteer Dave Morgan, Vanuatu. VSA volunteerPeter Ward, Kiribati. VSA volunteer Elizabeth Brown, Vanuatu. VSAvolunteer Toraya Abdul-Rassol, Samoa.



We send skilled Kiwis to share their experience and knowledge directly

with local people and communities. Right now, all around our region, VSA

volunteers are working on everything from disaster recovery in Vanuatu and

Fiji to safe drinking water for people in Kiribati. Together with our

partners, our volunteers are building local businesses, providing education

and improving health, safeguarding the environment and fostering good

governance, delivering nearly 200 community-driven and owned projects.

Working together with our regional neighbours, our volunteers create newopportunities for people that will continue to ripple across communities and

generations to come.

You can be part of a story that began more than 50 years ago with our

founding President, Sir Edmund Hillary. Write your own chapter! Your skills

and support will make a difference to people who want a better life for

themselves and their children.

VSA volunteers work with peoplethroughout the wider Pacific to create

lasting, positive change for everyone.

Go to www.vsa.org.nz to find

out about application criteria, to

register to receive vacancies matching

your skills, or to see what

assignments are being advertised.

Become aVSAsupporter

Your donation will allow us to send

more great volunteers and change

lives forever. Visit www.vsa.org.nz to

donate or to find out about becoming

a VSA member.

Become aVSA volunteer

Get in touch:

VSA volunteer Vasti Venter joins in with a group of dancers performing

for guests attending a conference in Chabai, Bougainville.


6/206 /LATEST NEWS VISTA

Volunteer Service Abroad has welcomed Helen Clarkscandidacy for United Nations Secretary General, which sheannounced in April this year, saying people look to theSecretary-General to give a voice to the voiceless.

Clark has a long relationship with VSA. In 2013, she tookpart in Live Below the Line and spoke with CEO Gill Greerabout the challenges facing development. Shes an advocate

A Kiwi in the top chair?

This years VSA Congress a chance to hear

and share stories of your VSA experience

will be held on Saturday, November 5. The

theme this year is New Zealand and the

Pacific: Partners for a sustainable, resilient

future. Full details will sent out to members

closer to the time, and will be in the October

issue of Vista.

Volunteer Gerda Pentinga is a pioneer of VSAs newe-volunteering model.

Gerdas e-volunteering assignment as an English LanguageResource Development Adviser deals with two of imor-Lestes challenges weak internet connectivity, and aprofusion of languages that makes teaching at any leveldifficult. She is based in New Zealand, primarily using email.

Tis work follows an assignment in Kiribati, and builds on afurther assignment Gerda carried out at the start of the year inimor-Leste, spending three months developing a curriculumin English for the I and Engineering Department of the DiliInstitute of echnology (DI).

She became an e-volunteer on returning home in May,continuing work on the curriculum and taking advantage of

New Zealands faster, cheaper internet to research teaching oftechnical subjects.

Save the date for VSA Congress

Innovative volunteeringmodels launched

Sometimes technical information needs to be seen to beunderstood, she says. I needed to download big images andfiles to create teaching resources for areas like solar energy.

Gerda has one of the first of VSAs e-volunteering assignments,enabling volunteers to support their partner organisationsfrom a distance, coupled with visits to build the relationshipand plan the work needed.

Another imor-Leste volunteer, Herman van Gessel, has beena successful guinea pig of the hub-and-spokes model, inwhich a volunteer is partnered with a central organisation,but works with others that need expert help on particular,but similar, projects. Herman is based with CC BusinessSolutions, an accounting firm in Dili, and so far has workedwith nine NGOs and small businesses providing financialadvice. imor-Leste Programme Manager Diane Torne-George (who has finished her latest contract with VSA, andwelcomed her successor Victoria Gregory) said the success ofHermans assignment shows theres potential to use the model

in other areas, such as Human Resources or I support. Ithas been a great way to see that it can really work.

for volunteering, noting on International Volunteer Day inDecember last year that "volunteerism can be a help in theimplementation of [the Sustainable Development Goals] byreaching those who are marginalised and engaging people whomay otherwise not have a chance to make a difference in theircommunities.

Helens international experience is exceptional, VSA CEOGill Greer said. She has used her influence to advocate

for marginalised people throughout the world. As headof the United Nations Development Programme, she haschampioned lasting, positive change for people living inpoverty and hardship, and she has been a long-timesupporter of the often unsung volunteers who make thatchange happen.

VSA works across the wider Pacific region in partnershipwith organisations of all sizes, from UN agencies to grassrootsgroups. Greer said As weve seen in the last year, the Pacific isextremely vulnerable to climate change, social and economicupheaval. Te international community has a huge taskahead to address these problems. Helen Clarks experience,pragmatism and compassion make her ideal. We wish her wellin her campaign.

While there is no deadline for election, it is expected that thenext Secretary-General will be appointed by October 2016.

VISTA LATEST NEWS

VSA volunteer Gerda Pentinga on a previous VSA assignment in Kiribati.

Helen Clark with VSA International Programme Manager, Junior Ulu.


7/207 /LATEST NEWS VISTA

Do you have the energy and drive to makea difference? Are you a changemaker who

wants to build on the achievements of this

amazing organisation? Were looking for

people passionate about development to

stand as VSA Council Members.

We want people who are motivated to

achieve VSAs vision and live our values, and

have the time, passion and integrity to take

on all parts of the role.

To find out about elegibility criteria*, and

how to nominate and vote, visit

www.vsa.org.nz/vsa-council-election

*All returned volunteers and their accompanying partners are

Honorary Members for the remainder of the financial year in which

they returned, and then the entire subsequent financial year.

VSAs annual award for Excellence in InternationalDevelopment Journalism is now in its third year, encouragingNew Zealand media to cover Pacific development issues. Lastyears recipient, Ruth Keber, is a photojournalist for the Bayof Plenty imes and NZ Herald online, and won the prizefor her in-depth coverage of the aftermath of Cyclone Pam inVanuatu. She will take her research trip back to Vanuatu thisyear, enabling her to follow up her original stories and gain aninsight into VSAs work there.

Tis year, CEO Gill Greer is joined on the judging panel byVNZ Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver, RNZ MoriAffairs Correspondent Mihi Forbes and journalist, editor,academic (and former VSA volunteer) Jim ully.

Te deadline for entry is Monday, September 12, and thewinner of the award will receive a seven-day research trip toVSAs programme in imor-Leste. Te topic for the 2016award is International Development in the Asia-Pacific region.For full details, entry forms and terms and conditions, visitwww.vsa.org.nz.

VSA would like to thank our valued partner Orbit ravel for

their continued support of the Award.

Volunteer Service Abroad (VSA) New

Zealand Award for Excellence inInternational Development Journalism

Do you or someoneyou know, want to bepart of leading VSA?

Entries open forjournalismexcellence award

From the top down: VSA volunteer Peter Brown (second from left) in Vanuatu,

VSA volunteer Tennant Fenton ( left) in Timor-Leste and VSA volunteer Dianne

Hambrook (left) in Vanuatu.

VSA volunteer Moniek Kindred being interviewed in Bougainville.


8/208 / MENTAL HEALTH VISTA

Until 2014, the psychiatric hospital in South arawa, Kiribati, wasknown as Te Mental. Te 60-bed hospital was built in Britishcolonial days and is, like so many health facilities in the Pacific,under resourced, even as mental illness in Kiribati becomes more

common.On World Mental Health Day (October 10) in 2014, Te Mentalbecame e Meeria, I-Kiribati for Frangipani. Te name wassuggested by one of the hospitals patients, and marked the start of acampaign of community outreach.

VSA volunteer Andrew Raven, whos working with e Meeria MentalHealth as a psychologist trainer, says its a really exciting time to beinvolved in mental health in Kiribati, and for me as a volunteer itsbeen really satisfying.

Information about the rates of mental illness in the Pacific is hardto come by, with few countries reporting patient data, but its global

impact is better understood. In 2010, the World Bank and WorldHealth Organisation (WHO) estimated that depression alone costUS$800 billion in lost economic output, a sum expected to morethan double by 2030.

Andrew says that there are far too many people going withoutsupport. Te WHO did a review of mental health in Kiribati in2013, as theyve done in a few other Pacific Island countries. Basedon Kiribatis population of 100,000, they estimated 1,500 peoplehave mental health problems. Were seeing maybe 200 of them, sothats a significant number of people not getting the help they need.

Mental health was not included in the Millennium DevelopmentGoals at all, despite three of those eight goals focussing on health

generally, and mental illness falling under the UNs convention onthe rights of persons with disability. It has some more visibility inthe Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), under SDG 3: ensure

Mental illness disproportionately affects people living in poverty and hardship, yet as many as nine

in 10 people in developing countries go without the mental health care they need. VSA volunteers

are working throughout the Pacific with local organisations to lift the stigma and provide support.

Frangipanis in bloom mental health in Kiribati

A volunteer Andrew Raven (left) with Dr Mireta Noere in Kiribati. Te Meeria Mental Health taking part in World Mental Health Day in Kiribati.

Sources: WHO, Centre For Global Mental Health.

Up to 90%of people withmental health disorders in

developing countries will notreceive appropriate help.

75% of suicidesworldwideare in low and middle-in-

comecountries.

1 in 4 people will havemental healthproblemsin their lives.

US$800 billionlost ineconomic output globally

due to depression

By 2030, depressionwill bethe third-highest cause of

disease cost in low-income

countries.


9/209 /MENTAL HEALTH VISTA

healthy lives and promote wellbeing. But international specialiston mental health law Laura Davidson writes mental healthhas never had parity with physical health. Despite compellingeconomic arguments for investing in mental health, stigmaperpetuates the lack of resources.

And yet, Andrew says, mental health isnt resource-hungry. Youdont need a lot of stainless steel you dont need operatingtheatres and x-ray machines. You need good people, a regular

supply of appropriate medication, and humane facilities." Techange in Kiribati has been largely driven by Dr. Mireta Noere,an I-Kiribati women who trained as a psychiatrist in Fiji andreturned to her home country. In her ambition and desire to

improve things for local people, she has set about creating acommunity mental health service, which has occupied my time.Weve got a home visiting service going.

Recently, Andrew and the home-visit team have been workingwith Anna Maria, a young woman with a diagnosis ofschizophrenia. "I first met Anna Maria when she failed to attendher outpatient appointment." Sitting on pandanus mats in thehome she shares with her parents, sisters and their husbands,Anna Maria explained that she was pregnant and had thrownaway her medication out of concern for her baby.

Andrew says further discussion lead to her accepting that a fullrelapse of her illness was not good for her, her baby or her family."We restarted her on a small dose of medication, talked with herattentive and concerned mother about support with antenatalcare and asked the family to come to the next outpatient clinic.Evening cool had set in as we returned to the hospital, sharingconcern for this lovely young woman and her baby."

Anna Maria still takes medication, but decided against anincreased dose as she felt she had learnt enough about her mentalhealth, was active around her home and at peace with family.Andrew says, "Sixteen months ago, the mental health servicewould not have been able to visit her at home, with a highlikelihood that Anna Maria would have experienced a relapse ofher schizophrenia, possible hospitalisation and increased risk forher baby.

"Anna Maria faces many obstacles over the coming years, but Iwill be returning to New Zealand knowing that this family haveexperienced good mental health service input, staff are motivatedand more skilled to continue this work and a child will come intothe world in better health than might have occurred previously."

A significant part of Andrew's work has been initiating a reviewof the Kiribati Mental Health Act. Tese acts need to be keptup to date, Andrew says, Tis one has not been reviewed for 40years. Mental health acts, Andrew says, shape not only clinicalpractice, but philosophy and thinking around mental illness. Ifthey have a very strong focus on institutional care, which the old

Callan Disability ServicesNazareth Rehabilitation Programme

Family Welfare Association

Kiribati Family Health Association

Kiribati School of Nursing

Te Meeria Mental Health

Callan Disability Services

East New Britain Counselling

Services

Loto Taumafai Society for People

with Disabilities

Samoa Victim Support Group

Women and Children Crisis Centre

Mental health in the PacificVSA has volunteers working in the mental

health field across the Pacific, whether

working with patients as counsellors

or psychologists, or supporting local

organisations that help people suffering

from trauma due to violence, past conflict

or natural disasters.

1,500 people have mental health

problems. Were seeing maybe 200 of

them, so thats a significant number of

people not getting the help they need. VSA volunteer Andrew Raven

acts tend to do, then people will get institutionalised. Iftheres a focus on less restrictive environments, then thenmore patients can stay home with appropriate treatmentand support.

Te process of shaping a mental health act is, in itself,an education for the community, especially a smallcommunity.

While theyre raising awareness, Andrew says they know

there are some big issues still to be faced: Big issuesinclude increasing drug and alcohol abuse, and Kiribatisyoung population (half the population is under the ageof 25) having high rates of unemployment and higherlevels of addiction. Young people are very vulnerable toimpulsive acts of self-harm, and sometimes thats lethal.

Te final draft of the national mental health policysubmitted by the e Meeria team would pull Kiribati intoline with modern practice, and empower e Meeria andother agencies to work with those going without supportnow. Andrew says, weve put mental health on the map.

Bougainville

Cook Islands

Kiribati

Papua New Guinea

Samoa

Tonga


10/2010 /MAKING A DIFFERENCE VISTA

Staff from UNDP Pacific Officeand I set up a community ofpractice connecting government staff in Vanuatu, SolomonIslands, onga and Fiji, who all work on gender andprotection issues related to climate change and disasters. Atthe second meeting in April 2016, I was blown away by thecommitment, openness, camaraderie and engagement shown

by the attendees. In the feedback session one memberwrote In terms of remote support, even though I am in theSolomon Islands [and you are in Fiji], you are sitting next tome while another wrote Tis network expands our viewsbeyond what we know.

Early in my assignment I was asked to deliver apresentation to senior students on health and personalsafety, including safe sex, and to be honest I doubted thatthey took in any of the information I was attempting toshare. I am used to presenting to New Zealand youth whoare, at times, overly interactive. Tey let you know whatthey think and how you are doing. Here the students satquietly, did not interrupt, did not say anything despite my

encouraging them to speak up. At the end of my sessionI duly gave out evaluation forms thinking well, thatwas a waste of time. I doubted that they had listened,understood or taken anything on board. But I was wrong.Te evaluations were genuine, thoughtful and showed theynot only listened, but were grateful for the information.For example, I suggest that you should teach primaryschools so they will know the things that they have to beaware about and the consequences; I like how you guyshave given us warnings for things I didnt know. Ive neverknown what Chlamydia is.

Not every teaching moment comes with an evaluation

form. Sometimes we dont know if we are making adifference. Te important thing is to try.

Allanah Kidd, Climate ChangeProgramme Officer, UN Women Fiji MCO

Pauline Dennehy, Family Planningand Youth Sexual Reproductive Health

Specialist working with the Cook Islands

Family Welfare Association, based in

Rarotonga

I can see the participants grow from learning

that they are not alone

Members get the opportunity to give protection andgender issues in the Pacific a stronger voice. I can see theparticipants grow from learning that they are not alone:across the Pacific, others in similar government roles face the

same challenges.I think we at the UN learnt more from that meeting forexample, about the resilience, dedication and capability ofPacific Islanders than the attendees.

VSA / UN women volunteers Allanah Kidd and Ellie Van Baaren in Fiji.

VSA volunteer Pauline Dennehy (centre) with midwife Teina Windy (left) and MaruTangatapoto, nurse practitioner at Atiu hospital.


11/2011 /MALIANA NIGHTS VISTA

In the sleepy town of Maliana in western imor-Leste, thenight of Friday the 23rd of October 2015 was not so quiet.A stream of people spilled from the floodlit local gymnasium,enjoying some of the best local products from around thedistrict. Free range Luwark Coffee grown in the forbiddingjungle heights of Lolotoe was sweetened with honey and

served to entice customers to buy the precious roast. empeh,a product made from soybeans grown in the Bobonaro valley,

was cooked up and fed to hungry stomachs. Rockmelonsgrown by farmer groups from the river plains of Cailacowere juiced into cups of yum to stave off the warm evening.Peanuts and banana chips from the hill villages of Balibo were

welcomed into mouths all too ready for them. Tese and thesmells and tastes of other stalls run by local businesses andrestaurants gave a festive air to what would have been justanother Maliana night.

Malianas first night market was initiated by World Vision(WV) imor-Leste with strong support from the MunicipalAdministration in Bobonaro, other local NGOs such asSeeds Of Life and Organisasaun Haburas Moris. Leadingthe WV organisation team was Nuno olentino, the ProjectCoordinator for the NZAID funded Bobonaro Food Securityand Economic Development project. VSA UniVol KahuBennet from Auckland was based in Dili and helped to throw

World Visions knowledge, experience and resources behindthe event. Te project was also unfortunate enough to haveendured me as a VSA volunteer for the two years prior to the

night market, and despite my making a return appearanceon the night, they managed to pull off a highly successfulevening. While Im now meddling with another organisation,Josephina Farms, for another year working with rural farmersin imor-Leste, Kahu was with WV until March 2016 andhad plenty more time to take advantage of the treats and

delights that Bobonaro is producing.Te Night Market is about more than just having somethingto do on a Friday night. It provides an avenue for localproducts to reach more local people, giving an opportunityfor entrepreneurs to test new ideas and make a little money.Stalls can demonstrate new ways of using local ingredients andtherefore increase demand as well as nutritional knowledge inthe area. Te focus is on local participants, with only a smallhandful of malae (foreigners), creating an informal, convivialatmosphere of community and familiarity. Nuno and theteam have lots of ideas, including movie nights, cookingcompetitions and live music, and hopefully others jump on

the wagon and start their own stalls. As employment is aserious issue in imor-Leste, markets like this one could be akey to unlocking the entrepreneurial potential of Bobonaro.Its a small start, but local businesses incubated in the nightmarket could potentially outgrow Maliana. If the faces ofthe sellers were anything to go by, then we should see some

more happy punters next time and more farmers walletsbeing filled, slowly but surely. I for one, cant wait to see whatemerges next time or maybe Ill start my own stall?

Volunteer Tennant Fenton revisits his previous assignment to find farmers, entrepreneursand a good cup of coffee all under one roof.

Maliana nights

The Night Market is about more

than just having something to do

on a Friday night. VSA volunteer Tennant Fenton

Markets like this one could be a key to

unlocking the entrepreneurial potential

of Bobonaro. VSA volunteer Tennant Fenton

VSA volunteer Tennant Fenton at the night market in Maliana, Timor-Leste.


12/2012 /SAMOAN WOMEN IN POLITICS VISTA

In March 2015, UN Women and UNDP in partnership withthe Samoan Government launched a programme to increasewomens participation in politics. Te Pacific has the worstrates of female participation in government in the world just 5.5% of parliamentary seats are held by women in theregion (not including New Zealand, Australia and the Frenchterritories).

As well as talking to professional media, we also targetedjournalism students, many of whom would be filling seniorpositions in the local media once they graduated at the endof the year, five months before the election. We ran a four-day training course with them, partnering with the NationalUniversity of Samoa Media and Journalism School, and wealso did training for NGOs around using social media foradvocacy.

Celebrating Samoan women in politicsSamoa held a general election this year in March, electing its first woman Deputy Prime Minister and

three other women MPs. UN Women/VSA volunteer Ellie Van Baarendelivered media trainingto journalists and candidates in the months ahead of the election.

Tis was the first election in Samoa since a constitutionalamendment reserved 10% of seats for women (five seats of the49). If fewer than five women were elected outright, the restwould be filled by the quota.

Our goals were to support the media in profiling femalecandidates, and, in doing so, support wider, more inclusive

definitions of what leadership looks like. In Samoa, there isstill a very masculine view of public leadership roles. Only10% of Matai (chiefly) titles have been bestowed on women,and candidates have to have a Matai title.

As part of the training we pointed out that gender equalitywasnt about making women and men the same, but ratherabout ensuring everyone has equal access to opportunitiesand resources; something that turned out to be a lightbulbmoment for many of them.

Te Samoan media produced some great examples of gender-sensitive coverage. o recognise this and encourage furthersuch reporting, we held media awards, awarding seven

journalists and media outlets for their efforts.Overall, the number of female candidates standing for electiontripled when compared to 2011, and four women were electedas MPs, double the results of the last election. A fifth wasadded through the quota, the first of its kind in the Pacific. Itwas a source of interest to Pacific countries that continue tohave low numbers of women elected to parliament.

Education and training are important building blocksbut they cant work miracles on their own. Te attitudes,stereotypes and norms that work against women being electedto leadership roles have been developing for generation, andit will take a lot of time and collective efforts to break them

down. Every step towards gender equality is significant andwe need to make sure we highlight the successes as well as thecontinuing gaps there is still so much to do.

A boy I have been working with has athetoid cerebral palsy and,although he has movement difficulties throughout his body. Te mostobvious issue he has is controlling his head movement. He walksaround with his hand on his head to hold it steady. He had droppedout of school because he couldnt manage the written work, as he

struggled to control his head when bending over a desk. We haveprovided him with a slope board so his work is held up in front ofhim and moved his desk so his head could lean against the wall.

I knew we were getting it right when his Callan teacher said whenthey are doing group activities on the floor, he sneaks away and sits athis desk to work, because he prefers it. Tis boy has normal intellectand its lovely seeing him engaged and learning.

Norah Riddick, Physio/OT & AdministrativeAdviser at Callan Services for Persons with

Disabilities, based in Kavieng, Papua New Guinea

VSA volunteer Thoraya Abdul-Rassol (right) is pictured with Samoas Deputy PMFiame Naomi Mataafa on International Womens Day 2016 in Samoa.

VSA volunteer Norah Riddick on a previous physiotherapist assignment in Arawa, Bougainville.


13/20

We want Council Members from all backgrounds with the energy and drive to make a

difference change makers to build on the achievements of this amazing organisation. Does

this sound like you or someone you know? If so visit www.vsa.org.nz/vsa-council-election

to find out who can stand and how to throw your hat in the ring.

Are you the inspiring Kiwi were lookingfor to stand for VSAs Council?

VSA volunteer Julia Sherriff, Timor-Leste. VSA volunteer Richard Clark, Papua New Guinea. VSA volunteer Olivia Benton-Guy, Bougainville. VSA volunteer Vasti

Venter, Bougainville. VSA volunteer Dianne Hambrook, Vanuatu. VSA volunteer Peter Ward, Kiribati. VSA volunteer Kate Kan-Shaw, Samoa. VSA volunteer John

Marsh, Samoa. VSA volunteer Emily Gordon, Solomon Islands.


14/2014 / CYCLONE PAM VISTA

After the cyclone

After Cyclone Pam, came the drought. An intense 2015-2016El Nio season has left some 4.3 million people across thePacific affected in some way - the lack of water means notenough to drink, and nowhere near enough to sustain crops,leaving people hungry and without the means to earn a living.Growers in Vanuatu, where 90% of crops were destroyed byCyclone Pam, have not been able to recover.

Less than a year after Cyclone Pam, Cyclone Winston hit Fiji,an almost unprecedented two category five cyclones in lessthan a year for the region. Months on from both disasters,many thousands of people are still without a home, enoughfood or an income. VSA volunteers have been working withtheir partner organisations on the recovery in both countries,and telling the stories of people still living with the aftermath,after the immediate attention fades.

Hellan Kalo, 53, lives high up on the side of an extinct volcano

on Nguna Island, Vanuatu. She is a leader in her community and

walks long distances to meetings, sometimes starting her journey

as early as 3am. Cyclone Pam and the El Nio drought have hit

her island community severely and Hellan works hard to make

sure everyone, especially widows, have the support they need. She

is pictured here in her new kitchen; the old one was destroyedby Cyclone Pam. Farealapa Village, Nguna Island, Vanuatu, 27

January 2016. UN Women/Murray Lloyd

We are facing a shortage of water so I dont

know if the children will go to school as they

will need water to wash and for food. Hellan Kalo

VSA volunteers and partners Fiona Morris and Murray Lloydboth work with UN Women Murray as photographerand Fiona as Markets for Change Communications Officer,based in Port Vila, Vanuatu. Nearly a year after Cyclone Pamstruck Vanuatu, Fiona and Murray visited women from theSilae Vanua Market Vendors Association on Efate, Moso andNguna Islands, who generously gave up their time and shared

their personal life stories.Tese pictures were part of two exhibitions in May: atthe Asia-Pacific Conference on Gender and Disaster RiskReduction in Viet Nam, and the World HumanitarianSummit in Istanbul.


15/2015 / CYCLONE PAM VISTA

After Cyclone Pam there was no food. The

island food was destroyed. Now we just buy

rice. Then we planted manioc, small yam, taro,

island cabbage. But its not ready because

of El Nino. Im looking forward to the next

planting season but Im worried about the sun.

Jenny om (30), Roslyn Moli (30) and Julia Morris (29) live in

asariki village on Moso Island. All three are members of Silae

Vanua, the first market vendor association to be legally registered

in Vanuatu. In the past they headed to the market by boat and

road 1-2 times a month, staying in Port Vila for up to five days

at a time. Now, however, there is very little fresh produce on the

island to eat, let alone sell. A year ago Moso was among the islandsdevastated by Cyclone Pam and is now suffering from the effects of

an El Nio drought. asariki Village, Moso Island, Vanuatu, 28

January 2016. Credit: UN Women/Murray Lloyd

Roslyn Moli


16/20

Lunch on the ring of FireRabaul is famous for its volcanoes but it also has something in common with Rotorua: hot springs.Volunteer Kurt Schmidliknew cooking in hot springs was a traditional method for Mori living ingeothermal regions, but never dreamt he'd do the same thing on Easter Sunday in Papua New Guinea.

My wife Christine and I, along with Papua New GuineaProgramme Manager Johannes Gambo, took a bumpy ride toRabaul, stopped at a roadside stall and bought two gorgeousrainbow runner fish. Johannes is mad about the fish here andevery chance he gets he buys fish. Next stop, the local marketwhere we found a big bag of kumara (kaukau) for a dollar,lemons, ginger, spring onions, banana leaves, some islandcabbage, cucumber beans and bread and butter. Enoughfood to feed a small army or a PNG village. What was he upto? We headed towards the volcano, which erupted in 1994,devastating Rabaul and the surrounding area.

We drove towards the beach on a road shifting with sandand rough lava chips and arrived at the hot spring. We wereimmediately surrounded by local people who quickly tookover the fish, gutting them on the sea shore, cutting them

up and packing them into banana leaf parcels before dippingthem into the sea for an extra hint of salt. Ten the kumarawas cut up and put into a plastic bag full of salt water. Andthe special wild fowl eggs twice the size of regular eggs anddangerous to recover deep in tunnels burrowed into the sand.Tey were all yolk and so rich and creamy, half was enough tosatisfy a normal human.

All this food was immersed in the steaming water bubblingout of the sand. It was lovingly poked and prodded for30 minutes and then hauled out with a forked stick andunwrapped. In the meantime Johannes the chief cook hadtaken the beans and cabbage down to the pool and blanched

them for a minute in the water. While they were still greenand crisp he smothered them with butter and we all tuckedinto our lunch together.

We were very appreciative of not only the great meal, butalso the whole unique experience. It would have been easierto go to the local hotel for lunch, but what a fascinatingintroduction to local cuisine and village life this was.

When I was recruited to Infrastructure Cook Islands (ICI), the numberone priority in my job description was preparing a Ministry Long-erm (5year) Strategic Plan. Te project was parked when I first arrived, and whenit restarted a few months later, my first task was to convene a whole ofMinistry Retreat. Tis is something that had never been done and duringthe preparations we discovered that the last strategic plan for our Ministrywas prepared in 2002. We closed the Ministry for one day, except for askeleton staff keeping the landfill open to process refuse collections. Onthe day, we pushed all the desks to one side and converted the largest workstation area into a conference room. At the heart of the session were threesimple questions: Where are we now? Where do we want to be in 5 yearstime? How do we get there? Te response of the staff was unbelievable.

Tere was an almost 100% turnout. Every participant was fully engaged inthe discussions and everyone I spoke to was positively thrilled to have beenasked their opinion, as even the longest serving members had never had thatopportunity across the whole Ministry. It really was an uplifting moment.

Charles Inggs, Strategic Planning and Policy Adviserwith Infrastructure Cook Islands, based in Rarotonga

Lunch steaming in the Rabaul hot springs.

VSA volunteer Charles Inggs taking a break in Cook Islands.

Rabaul community preparing lunch.


17/2017 /LITERACY IN SOLOMON ISLANDS VISTA

Volunteer Daphne Smithers and the local team give Honiara Public Library an overhaul.

A thriving Honiara Library

Daphne Smithers trip to the doctor for a jellyfish stingtook far longer than expected. When the GP learnt shewas volunteering as a library adviser for the Honiara CityCouncil, he insisted on telling her the story of how a libraryhad changed the course of his life, when a borrowed book onhuman anatomy caught his eye as a boy. Tat was when, hetold Daphne, he decided to become a doctor.

In a country where around 40% of the adult population isnon-literate and up to 20% of primary school-aged childrenare not enrolled, access to books is vital. But when Daphnearrived in November 2015, there was no facility to take books

out of Honiara Public Library. Within her first month, she setup an old-fashioned book ledger for issues and returns, so thatpeople could borrow books. In January, the Library issued 38books. In April, more than 588 were checked out.

Te Librarys refurbishment is part of Te New Zealand HighCommission and Honiara City Councils Honiara EconomicDevelopment Support Programme (HEDSUP), which wasdeveloped in 2011. Te Programme paid for landscaping andoutdoor tables for the Library in 2014, indoor furniture andthe purchase of a number of new non-fiction books whichwere seriously lacking previously.

Daphne says many of the books have also been donated by

Kiwis, and a connection at Massey University is providingan Electronic Library Management system to digitise thecatalogue and borrowing system. Cables have been laid forinternet access, and six computers will soon be installedfor public use. It makes me proud to be part of what NewZealand has contributed to the library, Daphne says.

Alongside that funding, the library team have devoted hoursto improving the Librarys appearance, cleaning, sorting andculling out-of-date or duplicate books, with plans to sendthem out to more isolated villages. Previously, the Librarywas closed on Wednesdays and weekends, but it is now openall weekdays. She is intending to trial opening one evening

per week and at the weekend, so families can bring in theiryoung children outside work hours. Right now, the library ismostly used by tertiary and secondary students, and Daphne

says you dont see parents bringing their children in like youdo in New Zealand, and Id love to see more young childrenusing the Library and reading. Te cute child-sized tablesand chairs for the childrens section of the library were alsopurchased through HEDSUP and made locally. Libraries aresuch a valuable part of public life, Daphne says and withvisitor numbers continuing to increase, those little tables couldbe hosting more future doctors.

VSA volunteer Daphne Smithers with books donated from New Zealand. The Honiara library with new chairs and hard working students.

The individually covered outdoor tables are very popular with the students.

Daphne and the team commissioned beautiful furniture throughout the library.


18/20

When volunteering runs in a family, its usually parentsstories from a generation ago that inspire their children. Justoccasionally, children stir their parents to discover what its allabout. And sometimes, like the Hogg family from Dunedin,all are bound by a lifetime of adventures.

Rachel Hogg, as a UniVol in 2008 in East London, SouthAfrica, often emailed her parents, Roger and Judy. Onreturning, she enthused about her 10-month assignment.I made them watch a slideshow of photos and stronglyrecommended VSA.

Keeping volunteering in the whnauVSAConnect coordinator Pat Martinmeets a family with the volunteering bug.

As it happened, Roger and Judy were thinking about a stintoverseas and Roger says Rachel was a huge influence on theirdecision to apply for an assignment. In 2010, Judy accepteda teaching assignment in Mdumbi, 300km north along thecoast from where Rachel had worked, and a role was soon

stitched together for Roger. I remember very excitedly goingover a map with Dad and pointing out places he had to visit,Rachel recalls.

During Roger and Judys assignment, Roger ran computersat a backpackers hostel, supported an orphans project andworked with an HIV/Aids team. It was a tough 18 months living in a mud hut with a thatched roof along terrible roads,120 km from the nearest hospital. South Africas highs andlows included a mugging, a robbery, and stunning views ofwhales out in the bay from where they lived.

Te friendship of former VSAConnect coordinator, JohnBowis, and his wife Alison, then on assignment in EasternCape, was a big support. Roger and Judy passed NelsonMandelas birthplace when travelling south to visit them.

VSA were always confident Roger and Judy could handleSouth Africas challenges. Te couple had lived in anzaniaall of 2004 while Roger taught in a Teological College. Aformer Ministry of Works engineer, he spent 20 years as atheology teacher.

In fact, the entire family understood the rigours of travel. In1990, Roger and Judy bundled up the four children, includingeight-year-old Rachel, and travelled through South East Asia,South Asia and the Middle East to reach London. From there,in a newly purchased VW campervan, the family touredWestern Europe for six weeks. wenty countries were visitedthat year.

oday the entire family enjoys videos of that global jaunt, andRoger still swaps stories of South Africa with Rachel. He saysthat volunteering and helping others is part of the familysethic and flows naturally out of their church work.

Rachel says that being encouraged to be independent had abig influence on her decision to volunteer. On reaching age18, Roger and Judy loaned each of their children the priceof an aeroplane ticket overseas. It was a subtle message toget going.

I noticed akau, the policewoman who works at the Womenand Childrens Crisis Centre, being gentle and caring with ayoung client who had been identified as difficult by a numberof other services. akau was walking with her arm around thegirl and speaking quietly. I told akau that I could see she was

being very supportive. She smiled at me and said I learnt itfrom you. You taught us that children who have been abusedare not being naughty, they behave that way because of thetrauma of the abuse.

Lesley Young,Crisis Centre Adviser at theWomen and Children Crisis Centre based

in Nukualofa, Tonga

VSA volunteer Judy Hogg with pre-school teachers and pupils in Mdumbi, South Africa.

VSA UniVol Rachel Hogg with SPW peer educators Mampondo and Liberty in Jongilanga

community, South Africa.

VSA volunteer Lesley Young (right) with Takau.


19/20

Right now

VSA volunteers are working on projects that

are vital to ensuring a community can come

through a disaster, recover, and build back

better. Theyre building clean, safe water

supplies in remote communities; building

strong schools so education isnt disrupted;

improving IT and communications so people

arent cut off; and ensuring people have a

chance to live more than hand-to-mouth, so

they have security.

A strong Pacific

VSA works to make Pacific

communities stronger in

the face of disasters.

And when disaster comes, VSA volunteers

living in those affected countries are able to

help with recovery straight away, working

with their communities to make sure

everyone gets the help they need.

19 /DONATE VISTA

Your support of VSA volunteers allows them

to work with people throughout the wider

Pacific to prepare for natural disasters.

Pacific people are resilient. When they have

the right support and resources, natural

disasters will not wipe out their progress.

Use the donation form attached to this

page. Just fill it out and post it to us, or

donate through our website.Donate

today www.vsa.org.nzThank you

Varanisese Maisamoa outside her house after Cyclone

Winston. Rakiraki, Fiji. UN Women/Murray Lloyd.

Of the 10 countries in the world

most vulnerable to disaster, four

vulnerable.

For every dollar spent today in

disaster preparedness, seven

are saved in disaster recovery.

Women and children are disproportionatelyaffected by natural disasters. They are more

likely to be displaced and suffer from poor

health afterwards, and less able to make

the income needed to recover.

Up to 85% of the population rely

on agriculture for their income,

making them vulnerable to crop

In the countries where VSA works:

Sources: UN Women, World Risk Index, UNDP


20/20

InspiringChange

Become a volunteer

Find out moreSupport VSAMake a donation. Its a gift

hat will keep on giving

ecause the programmes

hat VSA volunteers help

ut in place will continue toave a profound impact after

VSA has over 100 volunteer vacancies available each year

for New Zealanders to share their skills and knowledge with

communities and organisations already striving for change.

Our volunteers come from a wide range of backgrounds,

from business mentors and lawyers to teachers, IT

specialists, engineers and eco-tourism operators.

Our volunteers all have

stories to tell. When you visit

www.vsa.org.nz to see our

vacancies or to donate, read

about the work theyre doingevery day to create a better

www.vsa.org.nz

0800 872 8646

VSA Online:

Call:

VSA covers flights,accommodation,insurance & someexpenses. A livingallowance is alsoprovided.

vista magazine issue one 2016

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